Improvement in corn-harvesters



.Toi-IN MCLEisi-i, or CHICAGO, iLLjifNoi;

Letters Patent N 95,031, dated Srptcmbcr 21, 1869.

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' IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-HARVESTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part 0f thesame.

To allH whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOI'IN l\[oLnisn, ofthe city of Chicago, in the county lof Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Innn'orcmcnt in Corn- Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,.and` exact description thereof, which `will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the'accompailying drawingiformiug'part of tliis'spccitication, in winch- Figure 1 is a top or plan View of my improved cornharvester. Y t

Figure 2 is as ide view ofthe same, partly in section, throughthe line x-n,=ig. 1. l y p Figure 3 is a detail sectionalV View taken through the line yy, 1.

Similar letters of referenceindicate Corresponding parts. g ,Y

My invention-has forlts object to. furnish a simple, convenient, and effective machine, by means of which thel corn-stalks maybe out, the ears separated from the stalks and deposited in a suitable receptacle, and the `stalks ldeposited in bundles or bunches upon the ground;

and

It consists in the construction and combination of rarious parts of the machine, as hereinafter more fully described.

-VAf'is the frame of the machine, which is securcly attached in the rear of its middle pant, to the axle B ofthe wheels C.

Theforward end ofthe frame A is pivoted, by means of a king-bolt, to the axle D, upon which work the small wheels E, so that the forward end of the ma' chine may be close to the ground.

F are thc lifters, which are attached to the forward -end of the frame A, and which project downward and forward, so as to pass'beueath inclined stalks of corn upon both sides of the row, and raise them. The rear parts ofthe lifters incline upward, inward, and rearward, so as to raise the inclined `stalks into an erect position, and guide all the stalks into such a position, that 'they may readily pass into the device, by which they are grasped and held while being eut. v

G are the cutters, which are made similar to, and are operated from the drivingmachinery of the chine, in the same manner as the cutters of a mower orreaper. l,

H is the grasping-device, consisting of two rows of vertical rollers and two endless bands, one passing around each row of rollers, as sh'own in iig. 1. The forward pulley of each row is set back, as shown in fig.

" 1, to form a V-shaped entrance to the grasping-device'.

The two rows of vertical rollers are set, one row upon eachside of .the longitudinal slot formed in the forward platform a' of the frame A, the forward cud of said slot being made V-shaped, as shown in iig. 1.

As'the' stalks are cutofin they are carried lhack in an erect position hy the grasping-device 1I, until their huts come in contact with thecndlcss apron I, moving rcarward,'b \f which the said buts are married rearward in advance ofthe tops, so that when rclcascd from the grasping-device Il', they may fallupon and be carried back by the said endless apron, with their huts toward the rear end of the machine. l i' '.Lhe endless apron l, which may he made` either with or without'cross-slats, passes around the rollers .lland K, thejournals ofwhich workin bearings in the frame A. To' the projecting end of one of the journals ofthe rear ,roller-J, is attached a gear-n'lnel, l), thcteL-.ihrdwhich'lnesh into thc lccth ofthe large gear-wheel M,

attached to thc whcel (lor to the inner part Yof the hub of said whccl, so that the endless. apron'i, maybe operated by the advance of tl'icinachinc. f

To the proiocting end oi' one of the journalsfof,the

forward roller K is attached a bevel gear-wheel','l\f, thc teeth of which mesh into the teeth oi' ihebcrcl gear-wheel O, piroted to the frame A, and which is so1 formed as to serve as a pulley to receive the band 1*,

which.passeszu'ouml a pulley formed upon or attached the grasping-device H, should he se arranged thattlre-4 said endless apron may have a faster'movement than the said grasping-derive, so as to carry thc buis of the stalks in advance of their tops, to causil the said stalks to fall upon the said endless apron with their huts toward the rear end of thc machine. ,l`o compel thestalks to take this posiiioina guiding-device, Q, should be attached to the frame and so formed as to guido the stalks into proper position upon the endless arm l.

lt is a narrow stationary platlbrni, attached to the middle part of the. frame A, across which the stalks pass from the endless apron I to the rollers S .l, which are pirotcd to the frame A, oneI directly above the other, and at such a distance apart that thc stalks may pass `.between them, but noti-hc cars. The lower or larger rller S, is grooved or corrugated spil-ally, as shown in figs. 1 and 3, but the. upper and smaller roller T, is made smooth.

Y The rollers S 'l are drivcn'by means of a gear-wheel,

S,-attac hed to the journal of the roller S, and the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the gear-wheel M, as shown in `figs. 1 and 2.

As the stalks pass from the rollers S T, they drop of the bent arm W', the rear end of which is attached to the said platform U. The weightof the weight Y must depend upon the desired size of the bundles or bunches of stalks to be formed, so that when the desired quantity of stalks has been received upon the platform U, the weight V will be overbala-nced, and the stalks be allowed to fall upon the ground, the weight V at once bringing the said platform into a horizontal position, ready to receive another bundle of stalks.

As the ears are broken from the stalks, they drop into the spout or hopper X, suspended in an inclined position beneath the frame A, so as .to receive the said ears and convey them to the carrier.

The carrier is an endless chain of buckets, Y, passingaround rollers Z, pivoted to the upper and lower ends of the inclined frame A', the upper part of which is attached to the frame A, and the lower part of which s'connccted with and supported from the axle B or frame A, by means of a bar or bars, B. Y

To the projecting journal of the inner end of the lower roller Z, is attached a pulley, C', around which, and around the pulley D', attached to the journal of the roller J ,-passes a belt, E', so that the said carrier may be operated by the advance of the machine. If desired,the pulleys O', D', and belt l', may be replaced by a system of gear-wheels producing the same effect.

'lo the pulley C is attached a crank-pin, to which is pvoted one end of the pitnian F', the other end of which is pivoted to the'hopper or spoilt- X, so that, as the machine is drawn forward, the said spout or hopper may be agitated to facilitate the passage of the ears to the carrier, by which the)- are carried up and allowed to drop into some suitable receptacle prepared to receive them. f

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 1. The stalkgrasping device H, constructed and oper. ting in connection with the lifters F, slotted platform a', cutters G, and endless apron I, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the endless apron I with the grasping-device H, rollers J K, frame A, and rollers S T, substantially' as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth. l

3. The combination of the guides Q orrequivalent with the endless apron I, frame A, and grasping-device H, substantially as herein shown and describedand for the purpose set forth.

4. lhe combination of the rollers S T with tbe frame A, endless apron I, and hopper or spout X, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. rlhe spout or hopper X, operated from tbe carrier by means of a crank and pitman, in combination with the rollers S T, frame A, and carrier Y Z A', substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by lne, this 3d day of April, 1869. l

JOHN MCLEISH.

\Vit1iesses FRANK BLoeKLEY, JAMr-:s T. GRAHAM. 

